Power clock



Sept. 12, 1950 .1. LATO POWER CLOCK Filed June 20, 1946 y L/ H /5 l3/7/% /i //B .27

33 3o 36 i 4 5 ,6 9 48 5 95 y 2 fly] 36 35 34 amen 1M Joseph LaloPatented Sept. 12, 1950 POWER CLOCK Joseph Lato', Houston, Tex.Application June 20, 1946, Serial No. 678,053 I 4 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a power clockfor use in rotating and regulating a recording instrument and the like.

In oil well operations it is often desirable to,

depths. To accomplish this, a pressure gauge and recording instrument islowered into the well. A power clock is in operative connection with therecord the pressure in the well at the various revolving drum of suchrecording instrument and l fl rotates said drum at a constant speed asthe instrument is lowered through the various pressures of the well.With the power clocks in present use it has been found that in wells ofvarying depth it is desirable to use power clocks the speed I of whichis regulated to provide a constant speed of the character describedhaving a variable speed control to permit use of the power clock inwells of varying depth.

It is another object of the invention to provide a, power clock of thecharacter described having a, continuous operating life of twenty hoursin contrast to the continuous operating life of the type of clock now inuse which is approximately three hours.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel means ofcontrolling the energy of the power mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel means of windingthe main spring of the clock mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel means for securingthe drum of the recording instrument to the power clock.

The above and other objects will be apparent from the followingdescription and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a cross sectional front elevational view of the power clockshowing the drum of the recording instrument attached. v

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the view shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional top view of the rigid material. The sideplates I, I are secured to a base 2 and the main spring housing 3 bymeans of suitable countersunk set screws 4. A main spring 5 is seated insaid main spring housing 3 and is maintained in said housing by means ofthe plug 6.. One end of said main spring is anchored to the side wall ofsaid housing 3 and the other end thereof to the power shaft 1. The powershaft I extends through said plug 6 and housing 3 and has an annularshoulder 8 which bears against said main spring 5. One end of said shaftI is annularly reduced at 9 and bears outside threads on said annularlyreduced portion to be received by suitable inside threads (not shown) inthe drum II] of the recording instrument. The end of said drum which issecured to the power clock has the annular reduced segmented outsidethreaded portion II, the free end of said reduced portion being taperedinwardly. A nut l2 having inside threads to receive said outside threadsof said reduced segmented portion of the drum, has the inside inwardlytapering wall I3 adapted to abut against said tapered free end of saidportion II. When the nut I2 has received the portion II of the drum l0and is screwed tightly thereon, the inside tapering walls of the nut I2will abut against the tapered end of the portion II and the segmentedportion II will yield and will be tightly pressed against the shaft 1and will securely grip the same.

The opposing end of the shaft 1 has the annularly reduced portion I4,said reduced portion extending through the end wall of the housing 3 anda portion thereof being externally threaded to receive the internalthreads of the plug I5. Said reduced portion I I' of the shaft 9terminates and is seated in the bridge I6. A coil spring I! is looselymounted on said shaft and abuts at one end against the plug I5, the plugI5 having an annularly reduced portion forming a shoulder to receivesaid coil spring and maintain same in position. The opposing end of saidcoil spring abuts against a clutch member I8 fixedly mounted on saidshaft I, one end of said clutch member having the annularly reducedportion forming a shoulder against which said spring I! abuts. Theopposing end of said clutch member having ratchet teeth adapted to meshwith the teeth of the opposing clutch member I 9 which is mounted forfree rotation on said shaft I.

The outside wall of the clutch member I9 has suitabl gear teeth whichmesh with the gear teeth of the pinion gear 20, said gear 20 beingfixedly mounted on the arbor 2 I, the ends of said arbor beingannularlyredu'ced and mounted for free rotation in the bridges 2.2, 23.Fixedly mounted on said arbor 2| and adapted to be rotated thereby isthe worm gear 24 adapted to mesh with and rotate the worm 25 which ismovement in the conventional manner.

fixedly mounted on the arbor 26. The ends of the arbor 26 are rotatablymounted in the side plates A gear 2'! is fixedly mounted on said arbor26 and is adapted to be rotated thereby. The gear teeth of said'gear 26are in mesh with the gear teeth of the pinion gear 28. The gear 28 isfixedly mounted on and rotates the arbor 29 and gear 33 which is alsofixedly mounted on said arbor 29. The gear 30 is in mesh with the piniongear 3|, said gear 3| being fixedly mounted on and adapted to rotate thearbor 32. Mounted on and adapted to be rotated by the arbor 32 is aseries of escapement wheels, the number of wheels and the number ofteeth on each wheel varying, three wheels are shown in the drawings forillustration, the first wheel 33 having four teeth, the second wheel 34having eight teeth and the third wheel 35 having sixteen teeth. Anadjusting platefili is also mounted on said arbor 32. The wheel 33 isfixedly mounted on the arbor 32, and is adapted to be rotated thereby.The escapement wheel 33 has the axial sleeve 31 fixedly mounted thereonand extending laterally therefrom. The escapement wheel 34 has an axialsleeve 39 extending laterally from one side thereof, said sleev being ofslightly greater diameter than the sleeve 31 and adapted to be slidablymounted on said sleeve 31. The sleeve 33 has, a spring 40 formed in saidsleeve by cutting through three sides of a transvers strip in the wallof said sleeve. The escapement wheel 35 has an axial sleeve 4| extendinglaterally therefrom, said sleeve being of slightly greater diameter thanthe sleeve 39 and adapted to b slidably mounted thereon. A spring 42 iscut in said sleeve 4| as above described for the spring 40. The saidsleeves 31, 33 are notched in the outside surface thereof as shown inFigure 4 of the drawings, which notches engage the spring of theopposing sleeve and tend to yieldably maintain the escapement wheels inthe desired positon. The adjusting plate 33 is fixedly attached to thesleeve 4|. A pair of alignment bars 43, 43,.fixedly mounted on the wheel33, extend through .suitable ports in the wheels 34, 35 and plate 36,and maintain the escapement wheels in alignment with each other.

When it is desired to operate the power clock at its fastest speed, theescapement wheels are permitted to remain in the position shown inFigure 4, with the pallet fork 44 in contact at one end with. theescapement wheel 33 and in contact with the balance wheel 45 at theother end. The balance wheel 45 is axially mounted on the arbor 48. Thehair spring 4'6 is anchored at one end to the stud 41 and at the otherend to the arbor 48 and controls the balance wheel The arbor 4B ismaintained in position by the usua bearings 50, 50.

To reduce the speed of the power clock, the

adjusting plate 35 is manually moved laterally on the sleeve 3'! towardsthe wheel 33, moving th wheels 35, 34 simultaneously along the axis ofthe arbor 32, the resistance of the spring 4|! being overcome, movingthe spring 48' out of the notch in the sleeve 31 but maintaining agripping pressure on the sleeve 31. If only one degree of reduction isdesired, the lateral movement is stoppedas the wheel 34 abuts the wheel33,- and the teeth of the wheel 34 are in operating relation with thepallet fork 44, the increased number of teeth on the wheel 34 reducingthe speed of the clock. If additional reduction of speed is desired,pressure may be applied manually on rotates the arbor .26 and gear 21.

ing with it the wheel 35. As it is so moved the notch in the sleeve 39engages the spring 42 in the sleeve 4| so that the sleeve 39 and wheel34 are moved with the sleeve 4| until the notch in the sleeve 31 engagesthe spring 43, stopping the transverse movement of the wheel .34,leaving only the wheel 33 in contact with the pallet fork.

When the recording instrument is mounted on the power clock and it isdesired to wind the main spring to set the clock in motion, the powerclock will be held immovable by theoperator and the drum it) turned in acounterclockwise direction, the clutch member 53 permitting the shaft 1to turn in a counterclockwise direction without operating the clockmotor, but upon release of, the drum by the operator, the spring I! willmove the clutch member l8 into engaged relation with the clutch memberH3 and the clock motor will operate at the preselected speed, the clutchmember l9 turning the gear 39 which in turn rotates the gear 24 which isin mesh with the worm 25 which The gear 2'! is in mesh with and rotatesthe gear 28 which in turn rotates the arbor 29 and the pinion 3!] whichrotates the pinion gear 3| and arbor 32 upon which are mounted thevariable speed escapement wheels 33, 34 and 35 which selectively contactthe pallet fork 44 which is also in contact with the balance wheel 45which is controlled by the hair spring 46.

The side plates I have the cut away portions as at 49, 43, to permitready access to the adjusting plate 36 when it is desired to alter thespeed of the motor.

The embodiments of the invention herein shown and described are to beregarded as illustrative only and it is to be understood that theinvention is susceptible to variation, modification and change withinthe scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a power clock of the character described having a framework, amain spring housing on said framework, 2, main spring anchored in saidhousing, a drive shaft extending through said housing and in operativeconnection with said main spring, a recording instrument drum to berotated mounted on one end of said drive shaft. a train of gears inyieldable connection with the other end of said drive shaft, means forvariably controlling the speed of the rotation of said drive shaftcomprising an arbor adapted to be rotated by said train of gears, aseries of escapement wheels having varied number of teeth and in axialalignment on said arbor, the first of said escapement wheels beingfixedly mounted on said arbor and having an axial sleeve extendingtransversely therefrom and having a, notch in said sleeve-thesecond ofsaid escapement wheels having an axial sleeve extending transverselytherefrom mounted on the sleeve of the first escapement wheel, a springin said sleeve of said second escapement wheel adapted to be engaged bythe notch in the sleeve of the first escapement wheel when the series ofwheels are in extended position, said sleeve Of said second escapementwheel having a notch in the outer surface thereof, a third escapementwheel having an axial sleeve extending transversely therefrom, a springin said sleeve of said third escapement wheel adapted to be engaged bythe notch in said sleeve of said second escapement wheel when saidseries are in extended position, an adjusting plate fixedly connected tosaid sleeve of said third escapement wheel and in axial alignment withsaid series, alignment bars fixedly connected to said first escapementwheel and extending transversely therefrom, said second and thirdescapement wheels having ports therein through which said alignment barsextend and maintain said wheels and adjusting plate in alignment, apallet fork adapted to be selectively engaged by said escapement wheels,a balance wheel in operative connection with said pallet fork, a hairspring controlling the movement of said balance wheel.

2. In a variable speed control for clock mechanisms comprising a drivemechanism, an arbor in operative connection with said drive mech anism,a series of escapement wheels mounted on said arbor, one of'said wheelsbeing anchored to said arbor, guide means mounted on said anchored wheelmaintaining all of said series of wheels in alignment, said escapementwheels having a varied number of teeth thereon, a pallet fork adapted tocontact said teeth when the various escapement wheels are moved intocontacting position on the arbor.

3. In a variable speed control for clock mechanisms, a driving means, anarbor in connection with and adapted to be driven by said driving means,a series of escapement wheels mounted on and adapted to be rotated bysaid arbor, said escapement wheels having a varied number of spacedteeth thereon, each of said escapement Wheels having a lateral axialshaft upon which the adjoining wheel is slidably mounted, and means onsaid lateral axial shafts for releasably maintaining the adjoiningwheels in their selected position, a pallet fork adapted to permit thearbor to rotate at the selected speed permitted by the escapement wheelsmoved into operative connection with said pallet fork.

4, In a variable speed control for clock mechanisms,.a driving means, anarbor in connection with and adapted to be driven by said driving means,a series of escapement wheels mounted on and adapted to be rotated bysaid arbor, certain of said wheels being movable transversely andindependently on said arbor and means for yieldingly maintainingeach ofsaid transversely movable wheels in the selected position on said arbor,a pallet fork adapted to permit the arbor to rotate at the selectedspeed permitted by the escapement wheels moved into operative connectionwith said pallet fork.

JOSEPH LATO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

